New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-01


ers in "modelr jails TO be sharply looked into, and
If In setting forth the outrages perpetrated by the
Birmin CHAM trades unions he called down upon his
head the hatred of the towards and rufians he had
pilored it is certain that be did yeomans service
In the cause of honest labor
All through his life this chivalrous spirit moved
him, and il must be acknowledged that it kept him
In trouble too Discretion was not his. When he saw
a wrong he hit 1t, no matter when or where, and
not being intallibe 1t sometimes happened that he
fell into errors which his headlong assaults agra
waited He was always ready to quarrel righteously
Let principle be at issue and he would put lance
In rest against his publisher. or challenge the
whole Peerage, as no did when he entered the lists
of the House of Lords TO defend his own rooftree
against the Vaccinations of a nobleman who
wanted to carry new road over its site. He caused
n great sign TO be inscribed "NabOtRs Vineyard"
fastened il in the front of his house. and in that
sign conquered, though whether the modern Ahab
would have been overthrown but for the persistent
aid of the Socitor-Genera may perhaps be doubted.
At one time he projected magazine. but 1t came
to nothing. 1t would have been an epoch-mak-
ing publication. OF this we have assurance the
prospectus which Reades biographers have wisely
printed. None can doubt that the editor would
have kept his word. that he would have told the
truth as he saw it without fear favor, that he
would have furnished quite novel kind of crIti-
cism-of which science he observed incidentally.
the foundation stones had yet to be laid 1t is pos
sbe too that the new style would have pleased the
public since accepting Mr.. Laboucheres caustic
and cynical sham candor very cordially, though it
it is only too certain that Charles Reade would
have lived in hot water perpetually. lie did indeed
Injure his Influence by giving the reins to pas
sion which sometimes landed HIM In bog of
humiliation caused him to como cropper over big
Jumps Of exaggeraton. Ill health doubtless Intens-
fed sensibility whose external manifestations
could hardly fail to be taken for rrItabIity
temper and the writer who once gets notoriety as
scold is not much listened to thereafter. partcu-
larIy if his forte is the exposurd of genuine
abuses In his later years, too infelicity In the
choice of subjects damaged Reades standing some
what. There can be no doubt as to his good faith,
as to the purity Of his intentions, nor as to the
ability of his execution But he made mistake in
his public and he suffered for it. The blunder was
characteristic. Charles Reade can hardly be said to
have possessed judgment. His temperament
that OF the poet, and despite his unmistakable
virllity there was an abnormal feminine element
in his nature Intuition was more persuasive with
him often than induction, though writer de-
lighted more in the sylogistic form. He reverenced
Truth TO the verge OF idolatry and thence it came
that he could not recognize the necessity OF some
times yelling the goddess All truths at all times
seemed TO be his MAXIM and 1t is one clearly sus-
ceptible of awkward implications.
He was indeed lowered with the hate of hate.
the scorn Of scorn the love of love-" His instinct
for the beautiful was as unfalling rs that of the
plant for tho light II drew him. and it
touched the springs of his highest action.
No moro thoroughly delightful women are to be
found in fiction than his creations Julia Dodd, Zoe,
in 1.-THE Woman Halter" Jael in Put Your
self I'm HIS Place" Susan Fielding Christie John
stone and many others deserve to and viii live
when nlneteen-t wcntleths Of tho fiction of the GEN.
tury has sunk out Of sight. For no infused into all
these women his own finest essence. The fire. the
the spiritual alertness, the mpctuosity
the fidelity, the constancy, the noble disin-
terestedness, which marked and distin-
guished his character. reappear in these his
creations. Tho feminine side of Reade gave
him this subtety of conception. 1t was the
womanhood in him that supplied those traits
which so differentiated him from his masculine
those traits which while lending
TO his turbulent passion-tossed life singular and
even tender charm seemed to justify obtuse OBJ
servers in accusing him Of mpractcabilIty.
Quixotism, want of stability. The criticism was
shallow and irrelevant. IL Charles Reade's de-
mands upon the civilization OF his period were i'm
practicable, then must the Outstanding Of the
world be regarded as hopeless; for his standards
were all drawn from the Gospel. But enthusiasm
and defect of patience nterfered with his express
sion lie was apt to be Incorporate because of the
stength of his impressions and the depth OF his
convictions. He was prone TO ardor In advocacy.
and 10 ferceness IN Teproof; and he addressed q
world which superciliously disdains the one. and
guilty resents tho other.
The memoirs show but one side of bin, and that
side mperlectly. They are written with apprecia-
ton and affection, aud nothing seems to have been
omitted which in tue judgment of the COM
pliers could add to the interest; but the |
intimate life of the great writer is largely with
drawn from u.s. and while hints and half-lfghts |
serve to convey n tolerably clear outline sketch |
of him, il leaves us hungry for deeper knowledge |
Of what must have been 80 largely beautiful aud |
Warm heart aud open hand; the |
manner and spirit Of the English gentleman ; |
chivalry worn always and not donned for an ar
NOR or show these are seen ~ al ms move move
which reveal him. But the life of the fireside of |
the home, that which is so expressive and full, is
not here. Perhaps, indeed, 10 never existed Tor |
hun. We know that he went through the world
alone. in the common sense OF the term; that no
children gathered at his knees and no wife moved |
at his side. Was It that the duality OF the mans
nature inevitably disabled him for the performance |
of part demanding one-sidedness for its due |
lie, the champion OF the Ambidex-
trous may possibly hare been deprived by too |
even blending of principles in himself OF the COM
mon consultations. OF this however, nothing can |
now be known, and conjecture Is lule.
Such as the bographers present him we must &c
cept him. Those who desire most earnestly not TO |
come short of his deserts IN honor and appreciation
will add TO the knowledge dervable from his books |
the light throYp on bI5 character and career by |
warrant enough FOR the conclusion that he was
man of genius, lover aud helper of his kind, |
of no mean power. and writer whose |
works are likely TO rise IN value and the esteem OF
udcious minds, in proportion to the decay of con-
temporary and ephomeral prejudices
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